This document outlines best practices for maintaining asphalt pavement to extend its lifespan. It notes that asphalt pavement can last around 20 years with proper maintenance but will deteriorate more quickly without it. The best practices include sweeping regularly, controlling heavy vehicle access, ensuring proper drainage, sealcoating every 3-5 years, crack filling, pothole patching, and removing oil spots. Having a regular maintenance plan is emphasized as being much more cost effective than letting the pavement deteriorate until repaving is needed.
5. “
The number one fault
of agencies is that they
wait until a problem develops
before they address it.”
Larry Galehouse, P.E., Director of the
National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP)
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Notes de l'éditeur
Thanks for coming, introduce myself and who’s here.Set the agenda; slides, q & a, done
Talk about why its important to maintain your asphalt pavement and why you should develop a maintenance planTalk about what to do and how each practice is important to maintain your asphaltImportant to start off with a basic understanding of what asphalt is and how it breaks down
Why is it poorly maintained? Lack of budget and resources, lack of a plan,not on your radar until its really bad
As soon as your pavement is laid down, it will begin to degrade
Petroleum based
RavelingEarly sign of pavement degradation
Oxidation, exposure to oxygen
Oxidation fades colorFlexible- flex under different loadsWhy is brittle bad? Next slide
As your base course fails, cracks develop around the original crack, and you get this alligator look.This alligator look indicates that your base course has failed, it can’t support traffic load without causing more cracks
Doesn’t look nice, image reflects poorly on you, property doesn’t look inviting, think about first impression
A maintenance plan can save you money
Prevent your pavement from degrading so bad, you can save money and use it for fixing your roof, plumbing, AC, floors
Talk about best practices to maintaining your asphalt, and all of these practices can be bundled together to create a maintenance plan. It all depends on the condition of your pavement.
Skin = asphaltSunscreen= sealcoatSealcoat protects asphalt from oxygen, fills surface voids (oxidation; prevents brittleness), UV rays (restores dark black color), prevents water from penetrating into your pavementAn effective method for maintaining your asphalt, because it protects it from the elements
Sealcoat also makes your pavement very smooth; which makes it easier to:Maintain; sweep, striping and marking, pleasing to the eyes, inviting
Even if your pavement is older, it can still be sealcoated provided its in pretty good condition. If your pavement has cracks and potholes, those would need to be addressed first before a sealcoat.A sealcoat protects and maintains as is
Like sunscreen, you have to keep re-applying, sunscreen doesn’t last forever, just like a sealcoat
Cracks allow water into your pavement, and water can damage your base course, so you want to fill those cracks
There’s a lot of DIY patches out there, but you get what you pay for.Cheap, off the shelf products won’t last as long, some patches turn white.
Instant Road RepairSweep the pothole clearPour the product into the holeCompact it and good to go, you can start driving over it immediately
You have a pothole b/c water penetrated into your base course, it can’t hold the load so a pothole forms,Patches are surface fixes, they don’t address the root issue of a bad base course
Recompact-the base course and then fill it in with hot mixGood for repairing potholes in a limited area
Asphalt is petroleum based product, and petroleum based
If it’s a relatively new stain, maybe within 6 months, you might be able to remove it from the surface with a stain removerBut if the oil spot has been there for a while, its likely the asphalt pavement has become saturated, and at that point, the only thing to do is to cut out the damaged spot, pretty much the same way you’d cut out the pothole.
Works on asphalt, concrete (sealed or unsealed), and brickTreats apprx 6-7 square feetScrape off build upSweep areaApply to stainAllow to dry, 5-8 hours depending on temp, humidity and ventillationSweep upIf stain remains, reapply, scrub with brush
If it’s a relatively new stain, maybe within 6 months, you might be able to remove it from the surface with a stain removerBut if the oil spot has been there for a while, its likely the asphalt pavement has become saturated, and at that point, the only thing to do is to cut out the damaged spot, pretty much the same way you’d cut out the pothole.
Keep heavy vehicles off of your pavementTo keep pavement clean and it helps with inspectionDon’t want pondingMost effective maintenance practice, like sunscreen, protects from the elementsPatch or repair by cut outNew stains can be removed with various products, but a saturated pavement will need to be cut out
